The three Muslim students killed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina had “plenty of run-ins” with the man charged with shooting them. The man, who stored 13 firearms at home, had threatened the victims with a gun, the brother of two of the deceased told RT.

In an interview with RT, Yousef Abu-Salha, the brother of two of
the Chapel Hill shooting victims, said there was a lot of tension
between the family and accused shooter Craig Stephen Hicks, which
only grew after one of Yousef’s sisters, Yusor MohammadAbu-Salha,
moved in with her husband, Deah Shaddy Barakat.

“There were plenty of run-ins [with Hicks],” he said,
“but the run-ins escalated when my sister moved in; she
obviously wore the head scarf. I recall her telling me when she
first went to visit the condo before she even moved in together,
[Hicks] came and knocked on the door and told them they were
making too much noise, and he brandished a gun at his
waist.”

“I consider that terror,” he added, “I consider that
hate.”

Both Yusor and Deah were killed Wednesday, along with Yusor’s
sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha. The family has been outspoken
in its belief that the shooting was a hate crime, and a
spokesperson called the incident “domestic terrorism.”

Despite the tension, Yousef said his family treated Hicks
“with kindness and they sympathized with him.” The
brother also dismissed the possibility that the shooting occurred
as a result of a parking lot dispute, which police and Hicks’
wife have highlighted as a possibility.

“It wasn’t only about parking spots,” he said,
“[Hicks] would find any reason to harass them. The day they
were tragically taken away from us, no-one was parked in his spot
that he used to make a fuss about.”

These comments come as police searching Hicks’ home found at
least 13 firearms – including two shotguns, six rifles and
numerous loaded magazines and cases of ammunition, according to
the Associated Press. Eight shell casings were in the apartment
of the victims, but authorities have not disclosed exactly how
the three died. Relatives say they were all shot in the head.

On Friday, President Barack Obama released a statement saying the
FBI has opened a parallel inquiry into the “brutal and
outrageous murders” in Chapel Hill alongside the local
police investigation. The FBI will determine whether federal laws
were violated.

“No one in the United States of America should ever be
targeted because of who they are, what they look like, or how
they worship,” Obama said. “As we saw with the
overwhelming presence at the funeral of these young Americans, we
are all one American family.”

“Whenever anyone is taken from us before their time, we
remember how they lived their lives – and the words of one of the
victims should inspire the way we live ours.”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was also “deeply moved”
by scenes of thousands gathering in North Carolina for the
funeral of the three students, his spokesperson said.

Police said they have yet to uncover any evidence Hicks acted out
of religious animus, though they are investigating the
possibility. Hicks had frequently posted anti-religious comments
on his Facebook page. As a possible motive, however, they did
cite a long-standing dispute over parking spaces at the condo
community.

Hicks has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

Legal experts say prosecutors will have to show Hicks
deliberately targeted those killed because of religion, race or
national origin in order to convict him of a hate crime. In North
Carolina there is no statute specifying "hate crimes,"
but there are laws for acts such as "ethnic
intimidation,” which could include hanging a noose, burning
a cross or setting fire to a church.

Reflecting on the lives of his sisters, Youself Abu-Salha said
they “were perfect,” and that “growing up with them
was truly a blessing.”

“We are peaceful and that is what our faith preaches,”
he told RT. “We don’t seek vengeance. We treat our enemies
with kindness,” he said. “But we would like this crime
to be labeled as it should be because that is the only way we can
seek justice and solitude in everything that has happened. It is
what they deserve.”

“We stand in solidarity and we sympathize with all the
minorities recently, and all that has been going on in the world.
We call it an injustice when we see it. We call it oppression
when we see it. And we really need this right now.”